What is the valence of hydrogen?

The valence of hydrogen is 1, which indicates that it can form one bond with other atoms. This is due to hydrogen having one electron in its outer shell and needing one additional electron to achieve a stable configuration, similar to that of the nearest noble gas, helium. This property allows hydrogen to participate in various chemical reactions by forming covalent bonds with other elements, such as oxygen in water or carbon in organic molecules. Understanding hydrogen's valence is fundamental in predicting the behavior of molecules and the types of bonds they can form.